1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaner such as a hard floor cleaning unit for use in wet or dry cleaning modes. In particular, the present application pertains to such a hard floor cleaning unit having a nozzle assembly that is raised off the floor for use in the dry cleaning mode and lowered on the floor for use in the wet cleaning mode.
2. Background Information
It is known in the prior art to provide a hard or bare floor cleaning unit. Such floors are of a relatively unyielding and nonabsorbent nature. Some examples of these floors include ceramic tile, sealed hardwood, concrete, and vinyl. For these floors, it is often desirable to have a multipurpose cleaning unit which can be selected and used to dry vacuum the floor to pick up dirt and dust, or wet vacuum the floor by scrubbing the floor with cleaning solution and then collecting and picking it up. Also, it is desirable to first dry vacuum the floor with the nozzle assembly raised and then lower it to wet vacuum the floor. Dry vacuuming with the nozzle assembly raised picks up the large particles in order to provide a cleaner surface for wet vacuuming, thereby avoiding spreading or scrubbing the loose dirt on the floor by the squeegee or brushes. Moreover, this method minimizes the amount of dirt or hair that collects on the brushes.
Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hard floor cleaning unit that can be conveniently selected to dry vacuum the floor with the nozzle assembly raised or wet vacuum the floor with the nozzle assembly lowered to collect and pick up dirt from the floor mixed with cleaning solution distributed on the floor by the cleaning unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of cleaning a hard floor surface by first dry vacuuming the floor using a cleaning unit in which the nozzle assembly is raised to pick up large particles and then wet vacuuming the floor with the nozzle assembly lowered to collect and pick up dirt from the floor mixed with cleaning solution distributed on the floor by the cleaning unit.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description and the attached drawings. In one embodiment of the present invention, an improved floor cleaning device comprises a base portion for movement along a surface and a handle portion pivotally connected to the base. The base portion further includes a suction nozzle and a brush assembly for agitating the surface, wherein the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly are in a first position raised off of the surface for vacuuming said surface, and the nozzle assembly is lowered to a second position contacting the surface for collecting and picking up liquid and dirt from the surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a floor cleaning device is provided and includes a base portion for movement along a surface and a handle portion pivotally connected to the base portion. A nozzle assembly is associated with the base portion and includes a nozzle body and a squeegee attached to the nozzle body. A brush assembly is associated with the base portion, wherein the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly are in a first position raised off of the surface for vacuuming the surface. The nozzle assembly is lowered to a second position contacting said surface for collecting and picking up liquid and dirt from the surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a floor cleaning device is provided and includes a base portion for movement along a surface and a handle portion pivotally connected to the base portion. A nozzle assembly and brush assembly are associated with the base portion, wherein the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly are in a first position raised off of the surface for vacuuming the surface. The nozzle assembly is lowered to a second position contacting the surface for collecting and picking up liquid and dirt from the surface. A pedal is operatively connected to the base portion such that depressing the pedal either raises the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly off of the surface or lowers the nozzle assembly to the second position contacting the surface.
In still another aspect of the invention, a floor cleaning device is provided and includes a base portion for movement along a surface and a handle portion pivotally connected to the base portion. The base portion has a distributor for distributing cleaning liquid onto the surface. Front and rear support members are connected to the base portion and engage the surface. A nozzle assembly is associated with the base portion and includes a nozzle body composed of a rigid material and a squeegee attached to the nozzle body. A brush assembly is associated with the base portion, wherein the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly are movable between a first position raised off of the surface to vacuum the surface with the front and rear support members maintaining engagement with the surface, and a second position in which the squeegee engages the surface to collect and pick up liquid and dirt from the surface. The front and rear support members maintain engagement with the surface when the nozzle assembly and brush assembly are in the first position.
A method for cleaning a surface with a cleaning unit having a suction nozzle assembly for picking up particles on said surface is also disclosed. The method comprises the steps of raising the nozzle assembly off the surface and moving the cleaning unit along the surface to pick up loose particles on the surface. Then, the nozzle is lowered to contact the surface and cleaning solution is applied to the surface. The cleaning unit is then moved along the surface to collect and pick up particles and cleaning solution on the surface.